Furniture clamp for duncan phyfe tables



Aug. 26, 1941 J. M. LANCASTER FURNITURE CLAMP FOR DUNCAN PHYFE TABLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 Filed Aug. 21, 1940 W m. J

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A TTORNEYS.

Aug. 26, 1941.

J. M. LANCASTER FURNITURE CLAMP FOR DUNCAN PHYFE TABLES- 2 SheetsSheet 2 Filed Aug. 21, 1940 JJZZazzcesZew INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 26, 1941 FURNITURE CLAMP FOR DUNCAN PHYFE TABLES Jeter Mi Lancaster, High Point; N. 0.

Application August 21, 1940, Serial No. 353,568

5 Claims.

This invention relates to a furniture 'clampdesigned primarily for use in' assembling the legs and center' post' of Duncan Phyfe tables.

Heretofore it has been necessary toassemble these parts mainly by hand operation and this has been not only slow but nottalways as. accurate in results as might be desired.

An object of the present invention is taprovide a new and .novel. form of clamp useful in assembling the legsof the table with thecenter poster pedestal, there being embodied in the apparatus a means for clamping the center post so that it will not'be shifted out of proper position while the several "parts are being'pressed together.

-A further objectistoprovide the machine with new and-"novel meansforcentering'and holding the post or pedestal portion ofothectable.

A still further object is to.provide an apparatus which can be adjusted for iuse with three or more legs.

A further object is to provide a "clamp which can be quickly applied to and disconnected from the work.

With the foregoing and other objects =in-view which willappear as the description proceeds,

the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations; of parts hereinafter more fully. described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood .that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from thespirit v of theinvention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawingsathe preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings Figure l is a=top plan view of themachine, a portion being shown in section.

Figure 2 1's a section through the center post or pedestal clamp.

Figure 1 3 is -a vertical transverse -section through a portion of the: apparatus, thepartsof a table being positioned therein.

Figiu'e 4 is a sectionron line i dof Figure 3.

Referring to .the figures by 'charactersof reference i designates a base having a central opening 2 into-which is screwed the" lower end of the tubular standard3 which, in turn, is 1 screwed-into or otherwise attachedto the center of a circular table-4. r 7

Located under and attached to the base I 'is a disk 5 which closes the opening 2 and has a central post 6 from which is extendeda screw .pose hereinafter explained.

threaded rod 1 .coaxial with the standard 3. Mounted on this rod is. a sleeve '8 extending downwardly from a-plate-9 which, as shown. particularly in Figure 3, fits snugly within the standard-3 butiobviouslylcan beadjusted relative to the disk. 5. by screwingorunscrewing the sleeve 8 on the. rod 1.

LA conic'alcentering cup 1 llis located above the plate 9 and has-a base H. bolted onto said plate.

This cup-is coaxial .with rod. 1 and standard 3 andit' can, of course, beadjusted upwardly -or downwardly relative to the table-4 -forthepur The tabletop-disprovided, at regularly spaced points, with brackets-l2 extending "radially-beyond thetable topzand each havingparallel arms 1 ls'bearing-onthe .table .top: and detachablyheld thereto by bolts 14 or the like. The arms H of .1 each bracket constitute.guidesrbetween which is :mounted. a slide i6 which includes sidewalls 16 connected by. an: intermediate transversepartition l2. fThus-eaoh slidekhas a pocket"l8 =in:one end portion and another "end portion.

pocket l9 in its other Each "bracket 1 '2' supports a cylinder 20 which is fixedly secured theretoandhas a piston- 2| the rod 22 of which is radially disposed relative to "the tabletop-A and extends into the pocket 18 of the 'slide'adjacent 'thereto,"this'rod being secured in any suitable mannerto the center of the partition'l'l of said slide. "The pocket. I9 of each slide hasa clamping block 23 seated therein and; projecting upwardly and also toward the center of the table. 'This' block is preferably formed of wood although it can.-be.made of any other suitable soft material which will not-injure the work. Theblockvis so shaped that the: active space 24 thereof will coincide-in contour with the surface to-be engagediby'the clamp.

A valve of suitable construction has been indicated generally ate-25a: and has, in the present instance, ,a' foot lever or .treadle: Zitwhereby the valve can-be shifted" for the; purpose --of=controlling vthe"-1"1ow of air under pressure through the valve, from an air supply pipez1f25"tor.air

distributing pipes v2?. 'These latter pipessare used for i directing air -*into :the respective ends 'of each cylinderso that when the'valve is shifted by' pressure on the treadle 26,-air will-be directed simultaneously to-theouter'ends of all of "the cylinders so that the pistons 2 l -wi1l"-be simultaneously pushed inwardly toward the center of the table" whereas; when" the valve is" returned to normal position, air under pressure will be directed into the inner ends of the cylinders 20 so as to push the piston 2| outwardly simultaneously. The structure of the valve can be of any suitable type and as the valve constitutes no part of the present invention, considered per se, it is not thought that a detailed illustration or description thereof is essential. It need only be stated that the tubes for supplying air to the respective ends of the cylinders are preferably in the form of air hose which can be detached or connected easily. It may also be added that those pipes leading to the outer ends of the cylinders are formed with valves 28 by which the flow of air to the cylinders can be retarded or advanced as desired. This is due to the fact that some of the cylinders are more remote from the controlling valve 25 than are others. As it is desirable to have all of the pistons 2| shifted simultaneously, those cylinders remote from the controlling valve 25 have their valves 28 opened a greater distance than are the valves of the remaining cylinders. By this adjustment simultaneous actuation of the pistons can be effected. A block 29 is fixedly secured to the table and has a rod 30 extending upwardly therefrom.

A sleeve 3| is slidably and rotatably mounted on the rod and this sleeve has an arm extending radially therefrom as shown at 32. The block is located close to the opening in the table top 4, as shown in Figure 2 and that portion of the arm remote from the sleeve 3| has a presser foot 33 connected thereto by a screw 34 extending upwardly into the arm. This presser foot is so located that when the arm 32 is in position over the standard 3, the presser foot 33 can be positioned with its screw 34 coaxial with the standard.

Rod 30 has transverse notches formed therein to produce a longitudinal series of ratchet teeth 35 and pivotally mounted in the sleeve 3| is a dog 36 held normally in engagement with the toothed portion of the rod by means of a spring 31. The dog has a handle 38 projecting therefrom by means of which it can be shifted against the action of spring 3'! so as to become disengaged from the teeth.

Obviously by swinging arm 32 around the post 35, the jaws can be moved out of engagement with the teeth. When the arm is in position to hold the presser foot 33 in clamping position, however, the dog 36 will engage one of the teeth and by pushing downwardly on the arm 32, this dog will slip over the teeth until the arm is brought into proper position to assure a clamping action as hereinafter explained.

In using this clamp, the number of slides l5. employed is equal to the number of legs on the table to be assembled. If the table has four legs, four brackets will be used. If the table has three legs only three of these brackets will be used. Supplemental openings 39 are provided in the table top 4 so that the brackets can be placed in proper positions where only three legs are used, these openings being adapted to receive the tightening bolts M,

The blocks or clamping shoes 23 are placed in the pocket I9 after their gripping faces have been shaped to coincide with the contours of those surfaces to be engaged thereby. The legs L of a table are placed on the post or pedestal P, being held loosely thereto by the usual dowels D, it being understood of course that glue is placed on those faces of the table which are to be brought together. Following this assembly of the parts, the post is inserted downwardly into the standard 3 so that its lower end will engage and be centered by the conical cup [0. The arm 32 is then brought into position over the post and moved downwardly along rod 35, it being held against retrograde movement by the dog 36 engaging one of the teeth 35. The presser foot 33 is adjusted downwardly against the center of the post P and the legs L are brought to position where they will be engaged ultimately by the blocks 23. Immediately thereafter the valve 25 is operated so that air will be directed under pressure into the outer ends of all of the cylinders 20 simultaneously. This will result in simultaneous actuation of the pistons 2| and the slides IE will be moved inwardly toward each other, causing the blocks 23 to engage the legs L and clamp them firmly against the post. By providing the overlying arm 32 there is no danger of these blocks 23 crowding the legs L upwardly and causing the center post to become displaced. Instead the center post will be tightly gripped during the leg clamping operation and by a quick movement of the valve an application of air the entire assembly can be completed, the assembled parts removed thereafter by reversing the movement of the pistons, and a new assembly of parts are inserted ready for the clamping action.

It has been found in practice that a machine such as herein described, greatly expedites the completion of tables of the Duncan Phyfe type and is advantageous also because all of the parts are held against displacement during the clamping action and are readily centered. Obviously should the operator fail to have the upper end of the post P properly centered, the action of the clamping blocks on the legs will bring the post to a center.

What is claimed is:

1. A table clamp including a hollow standard, a table top supported thereby and having an opening registering with the standard, a post centering device in the standard, holding means on the table for overlying and engaging a centered post, and means on the table and movable radially thereof for clamping a leg against a side of the held post.

2. The combination with a table, a plurality of radially movable leg clamps thereon, and means for simultaneously shifting the clamps toward each other, of a post-receiving standard supporting the table, and cooperating means in the standard and on the table, for engaging and holding the respective ends of a post projecting between the clamps.

3. The combination with a table, a plurality of radially movable leg clamps thereon, and means for simultaneously shifting the clamps toward each other, of a post-receiving standard supporting the table, and cooperating means in the standard and on the table, for engaging and holding the respective ends of a post projecting between the clamps, said means including a tapered centering cup in the standard.

4. The combination with a table, a plurality of radially movable leg clamps thereon, and means for simultaneously shifting the clamps toward each other, of a post-receiving standard supporting the table, and cooperating means in the standard and on the table, for engaging and holding the respective ends of a post projecting between the clamps, said means including a tapered centering cup in the standard, and means for adjustably supporting the cup.

moving the shoes toward each other to bind interposed legs against the supported post, and means for engaging the upper end of the post to hold it against upward displacement.

JETER M. LANCASTER. 

